Unlike my ancient predecessor, this Tullius hasn't had his hands chopped off. With hands attached I offer my thoughts on philosophy, religion, politics, and whatever else I find worth mentioning. I'm conservative religiously and politically (though I have some serious libertarian leanings). I value reason and freedom but also traditions and "Oldthink." I relish being on the wrong side of history when history is wrong--part of a philosopher's job is to be unpopular.

Friday, September 19, 2014

Banning Tobacco & Cursing on Campus, and the Gateway Drug

Two anecdotal stories from readers of the blog:

Banning Tobacco and Cursing

There was a campus wide meeting featuring some national health dude who
goes around advocating tobacco free campuses. I showed up at the meeting and he
was taking questions. Before my question, he was explaining that he encourages
people to explain tobacco free policies in something like the following
way:

"Look, we aren't trying to disrespect you or anything, but when you throw
cigarette butts on the ground, smoke in non-designated smoking areas, or spit
tobacco in the toilets, you are desecrating and polluting our beautiful campus
that we all must share. This is about respect."

I raised my hand and basically said the following: I'm really glad you're here talking about respect. I think that's important. I like your example about
desecrating the campus. I'd like to give a similar example. I, for one, don't
like it when people use crude, disrespectful language on campus. I don't like to
hear kids dropping the f-bomb as they walk around campus, or using language that
is unkind to others. This sort of language creates a sort of noise pollution
that, in a way, desecrates the campus. I hear it every week. Yet, I do not feel
at all inclined to regulate it, or take away their right to use it. I
tolerate it. Why should non-smokers not tolerate smokers, especially when
they are smoking outside and the trace that we non-smokers inhale is so small
that it is probably comparable to the amount of fumes we inhale from cars
driving on the street?

To the guys credit, he said that he'd never thought about it that way
before [?!] and that he was going to think about it more. Then he added that he'd
probably revert back to emphasizing the health risks of smoking.

I also gave the same argument when the university asked for email responses
to the possibility of going tobacco free. I never thought I'd be on the side of
smokers.

The Gateway Drug:

I was just listening to NPR
while taking a shower tonight. It was "NPR Live from the State Fair." They
were doing a Q and A with some sports medicine doctor....and someone asked him
about his thoughts regarding the current state debate regarding the legalization
of marijuana. And this is what he said:
"I'm not in favor of marijuana's
legalization. Some people say that it isn't that harmful, but the more we talk
about legalizing it, the more kids will think it's OK. And kids smoking
marijuana is not OK and kids need to know that. There's a really big concern
that smoking marijuana is a gateway drug to cigarette smoking, and that is not OK."

Yep, only on crazy, liberal NPR is marijuana a gateway drug, not to cocaine,
or meth, or acid....but to the horrific evils of tobacco! You can't make this
stuff up.